Easy to progress with 3x5 than it is to progress with 3x10

I'm recovering from surgery, and getting back into the lifting game. I was sick and tired of constantly lifting 3 x 10 of 115 lbs on bench without making any progress (final set was always 9-10 reps, felt like I was struggling on it). So I decided to go back to my original pre-surgery: routine increase weight, lower reps. Now I'm making progress, I managed to consistently add 5-10 pounds per week and see my bench SOAR.

Now I'm at 150 lbs bench press 3x5, and I'm taking a deload week. So day one of my deload, I go back to my 115lb bench and- It's still somehow very difficult. I'm so confused, why is it so hard to do 3x10 on that weight, when I've been making progress over the past month lifting increasingly heavy weights (Started at 125 at the beginning doing 3x5).

Is it because of the fatigue? (My shoulders have been exhausted from the constant pull ups in my routine).

In a week I plan on going back to 145 for a session or two, then back to 150 and beyond. But I feel like I'm missing out on something if my 3x10 lifts are pretty much identical. Is there an issue with my routine? Should I keep relying on 3x5? (I don't want to increase to 5x5 yet, I feel like the progress I'm making now is enough).

Some ideas:
Move on to 5x5 to further increase strength gains.
Move on to 3x5 + 2 x 10 to increase volume (with lighter weight).

So how should I tweak my progress then? I feel like doing 3x10 of the same weight for weeks with little progress makes it seem like I'm not progressing at all. Is progress there? Or am I just hurting myself, feeling a burn, then going back to the same routine. When should I add weight? How should I tweak my training?

So how should I tweak my progress then? I feel like doing 3x10 of the same weight for weeks with little progress makes it seem like I'm not progressing at all. Is progress there? Or am I just hurting myself, feeling a burn, then going back to the same routine. When should I add weight? How should I tweak my training?

Should I alternate? If so how often? One week for hypertrophy, one week for strength? What seemed to make me grow even stronger were adding more chest exercises into my routine, (such as incline DB press and dips) will that help with hypertrophy? How many reps of Dips should I aim for?

Should I alternate? If so how often? One week for hypertrophy, one week for strength? What seemed to make me grow even stronger were adding more chest exercises into my routine, (such as incline DB press and dips) will that help with hypertrophy? How many reps of Dips should I aim for?

Should I alternate? If so how often? One week for hypertrophy, one week for strength? What seemed to make me grow even stronger were adding more chest exercises into my routine, (such as incline DB press and dips) will that help with hypertrophy? How many reps of Dips should I aim for?

What worked for me was to step away from the 3x5 / 3x10 dogma. I followed the advice of some jacked dude at my gym and it worked wonders. I only use the first set of my first exercise to gauge progress. E.g. on the day I bench I use x amount of weight and push that set to technical failure. I always try to beat a previous number. My subsequent sets are with ‘lighter’ weights and always somewhere between 6-15 reps very close to failure, to get in enough volume.

I’ll always try to add a rep or weight on that first set. Or if the last rep was sloppy, I’ll work on getting the same amount of reps with better form and control. One day that weight could be 225lbs (of which I got for example 8 reps last time - so I’ll try to get 9 now) 255 which I got 5 with and I’ll try to get 260 for 5 now).

The weight I use on the subsequent sets depends on how much that first set took out of me and how I feel in general (high stress levels, sleep deprivation and bad nutrition are usually the cause when I’m not feeling ‘strong’ that day). Of course, these weights needs to go up overtime aswel, but it’s more about working the muscle I’m trying to hit that day

As you said yourself, a bit higher volume aids in achieving more muscle growth, which in turn will aid in getting stronger after the beginner stages.

The reason I'm using a 3x5 lifting strategy is because I'm still relatively new to lifting. It's been about 4 months of "serious lifting", where I've mastered forms, and I know which muscles are being activated in each workout. Supposedly, I'm at the stage where literally anything will work, which is why I'm not putting much thought into it. The moment I reach the 200lb weights is when I'll start re-evaluate what my goals are. For now, I'm just concerned with making progress.

If my program works ie: If I can consistently move up weights, then I will.

I'm recovering from surgery, and getting back into the lifting game. I was sick and tired of constantly lifting 3 x 10 of 115 lbs on bench without making any progress (final set was always 9-10 reps, felt like I was struggling on it). So I decided to go back to my original pre-surgery: routine increase weight, lower reps. Now I'm making progress, I managed to consistently add 5-10 pounds per week and see my bench SOAR.

Now I'm at 150 lbs bench press 3x5, and I'm taking a deload week. So day one of my deload, I go back to my 115lb bench and- It's still somehow very difficult. I'm so confused, why is it so hard to do 3x10 on that weight, when I've been making progress over the past month lifting increasingly heavy weights (Started at 125 at the beginning doing 3x5).

Is it because of the fatigue? (My shoulders have been exhausted from the constant pull ups in my routine).

In a week I plan on going back to 145 for a session or two, then back to 150 and beyond. But I feel like I'm missing out on something if my 3x10 lifts are pretty much identical. Is there an issue with my routine? Should I keep relying on 3x5? (I don't want to increase to 5x5 yet, I feel like the progress I'm making now is enough).

Some ideas:
Move on to 5x5 to further increase strength gains.
Move on to 3x5 + 2 x 10 to increase volume (with lighter weight).

I've used the 5x5 method for years - never injured, 5 ft 7 inches tall, 218 pounds, strong as an ox and very fit hiking/snowshoeing 5 to 10 miles a day in these northern New Hampshire mountains.

Robert Rogers - Odin Sisu
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